


Water Droplets, Sicknesses, and a Maybe More-Than Friend

by NovaBagel2334



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: A bored-project, Awkward Bean Cisco, Barry is discovered to be hiding something, Confessions (sorta), F/M, For a really stupid reason, Fricking Finally, Hurt/comfort (I think??), I Tried, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Iris is just about done with Barry's crap, Its all fun and games until, Semi-drunk Caitlin and Harry, joe ships it, sick barry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-07
Updated: 2017-11-07
Packaged: 2019-01-30 14:58:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12655815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NovaBagel2334/pseuds/NovaBagel2334
Summary: Team Flash has cleared the latest wave of metahumans. And they go out to celebrate. Nothing wrong there, right? Right..?But nooo, Barry doesn't tell anyone anything. So Iris has to pry it from him.AKA a bored-project





	Water Droplets, Sicknesses, and a Maybe More-Than Friend

**Author's Note:**

> Eyyy... Another bored-project, woohoo!
> 
> Anyways, hope you guys enjoy this little oneshot I wrote to keep myself busy and my creative juices flowing, and feel free to leave your feedback in the comments!

"Hey you guys wanna go out somewhere? I don't think Cisco can handle being in here for too much longer," Joe jokes, referencing Cisco's slightly out-of-touch-with-the-world look. Caitlin smiles and Harry speaks up:

"Sure, after our metahuman-marathon here, I think a little air is an order." He says, crossing the floor from where he was sitting at the cortex console. "Barry?" 

"Oh, hm? Yeah, yeah sure..." He says.  
"You ok buddy? You don't look so great..." Cisco says, and Barry shakes his head.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine... Come on, we going or not?" He gives a sideways smile that looks more like a grimace. Joe gives him a look of concern but follows the procession out of the cortex. Barry lags behind for a moment but continues on with the group.

-at the restaurant-

They all talk and laugh and have fun, talking over their food and drinks. All but the one who has the most to celebrate, Central City's hero. Iris is perceptive, she asks what's wrong quite often during the evening and tries to include him, but Barry just shrugs. Plays it off as being tired, and he "got hit pretty bad by that last one". No one who overheard believes him.  
And he tries so hard, you can tell. He doesn't want to drag down his friends' fun, so he pretends to be experiencing it as well. It's too bad he's not.

It's late, and they've all had a few too many. Harry is trying to remain in control of his mind, fighting a halfhearted battle that won't be too lethal if lost. He loses, and a giggling Caitlin and still-sober Jesse accompany him to a taxi. Three down.  
Cisco is over at the bar, awkwardly flirting with a waitress. She flirts back, and he stops back by the table to say goodnight before leaving with her. Only Joe, Wally and Iris left. The commotion in their section has died down, bit it's still present in Wally's babbling about some of the latest speedforce discoveries they've made.  
Joe says he needs to go, doesn't want to stay any later than he feels necessary. He knows his limits, and when a good time to stop is. Wally comes with.  
Iris is the remaining, as per usual.

"Hey, I know what you're going to say, so I'm not going to ask. Somethings wrong with you and of you're not going to talk about it I'm not gonna force you to, but as your friend I want to help. Please Barry? Let me know what I can do..."

"We can go somewhere a little quieter to start with..." He seems to utter. But it's a shout because the restaurant is alive with costumers, servers, music and talking, even though it's almost tomorrow. Iris gets up to pay the check and comes back to collect the speedster, who has a sort of queasy and pained expression. They stumble outside, Barry clutching his stomach and as soon as they hit the parking lot he throws up what little food he ate in the previous hours. Iris runs her hand over his back soothingly and helps him into her car, driving them back to their childhood home, where they still lived. 

"Hey... Hey it's gonna be alright..." The journalist says softly, noticing the tears forming in her best friend's eyes. "Whats wrong?" She ventures.  
"I just... This night, it was supposed to be fun... Altogether like that, after we just cleared the most recent wave of metahumans"- he wipes his eyes and sniffs a bit- "And I ruined it for you guys... You kept asking about me, and Iris, don't tell me I wasn't on your mind. I saw the looks you kept giving me. I'm so so sorry... I wish this would go away..."  
Iris's eyes soften, reaching out to grab Barry's hand with one of her free ones. "Its alright... It's not your fault... How long has this been going on? You've seemed off for awhile, now that I think about it," she says over the soft him of the engine and the rain starting to pitter-patter on the roof and windows, sprinkling the glass with little droplets that sent mini-kaleidoscopes of light through each other each time a traffic light or an illuminated yard decoration reflection caught their surfaces, the water warping the sites.  
"Almost a week..."  
"WHAT?! Barry, why didn't you tell the others? I'm sure they'd find a way to help you!" He cringed at the sudden volume raise, and she gives him a short glance that says 'sorry', but immediately turning her features back to that of concern and slightly confusion.  
"Because, I didn't think it was that bad... Just a cold or something... And it was never as bad as it was tonight. I have no idea why's happened... But I think my speed might be being affected by it... I can't go as fast as I normally can..." Barry replies at a whisper, hazel eyes glistening, as Iris's start to as well.  
"Barry..." She whispers. He looks down. "We need to tell the others.. They need to find a way to help you... Who knows what this is, it could be something life-threatening. I thought I'd lost you last time, and I really don't want to go through that again..." Her co-pilot just keeps uttering apologies under his breath. He doesn't stop until Iris is silent for a little, and then speaks up again.  
"If you won't let the others help you, at least let me." She says. It's not a question. A command that Barry gives in to and nods, burying his head in his hands. The rest of the drive is in silence, tears finally starting to dissapate among the two.

-at home-

Iris helps Barry inside and up to his room. He speed-changes and curls up in his bed, Iris pulling a blanket over him. He sits, completely still, silent. Iris boops his nose in an effort to get him to laugh, and he does so, a little dryly and broken. He looks up at her and she realizes the pain he's been hiding. Both emotional and physical.  
"Iris..." Her name is a tiny whisper. But she understands.  
She goes to her own room to change into sleepwear, and jokingly tells him to "scoot over." He does, and they hold each other, Barry panicking for a moment because he isn't sure of the implications but Iris tells him to calm down, they'll figure out in the morning.  
"But Iris, I-"  
"Goodnight Barry." She laughs a little. He gives a smile and a defeated sigh, pulling her closer and letting his recently distanced acquaintance known as 'sleep' envelop him, Iris following shortly after.

 

The bedroom door opens just a crack, the hall-light casting a large-ish shadow onto the bed and wall where they lay. A deep, muffled chuckle comes from the doorway, and the figure shakes his head and smiles.  
"Finally," is all he utters, and Joe goes back to his place of rest and joins them in the dream-world.

**Author's Note:**

> Heyy guys I'm thinking of doing some prompts from you... If I ever get any *cries*
> 
> Seriously though, spew anything you wanna see in the comments. I just don't do smut, and I prefer to stick to the fandoms I know well (The Flash, Supernatural, Doctor Who, Sherlock, FNaF, and Thomas Sanders). I will be most likely to do things on ships like Westallen, Destiel, Johnlock, Fangle, Logicality, and Prinxiety, but I mean, I'd love to hear what you guys want!
> 
> That's a I've got, sorry for rambling.  
> Stay creative!


End file.
